Breaking the Ice, Returning a Family (a Sound of Music fanfic)
by N101012
Summary: Maria is now fired and has nothing left to lose, but she will give one last gift to the children before going back to Nonnberg. *** Just a drabble on the fight in the Sound of Music. I do not own characters, plotlines, images, songs or anything really. Those belong to their rightful owners.


_The hills are alive with the sound of music_

The song I taught the children wafted onto the veranda like a pleasant fragrance on the wind, along with the sweet strum of Liesl's guitar, just as the Captain turned to leave after firing me. My former employer stiffened as he heard the melody of the beautiful music floating on the gentle summer breeze.

"What's that?" he asked, for the first time since I met him visibly confused and surprised. The stern look of anger was still visible on his weathered features, along with the loneliest look in his eyes.

"It's singing." I answered, as gently as I could, my anger dissipating. If my words didn't reach him, this music certainly did. He must've not heard music in a long time. He seems like he didn't.

"Yes I realize it's singing, but who is singing?" he corrected himself, his irritation audible. Knowing I had nothing to lose anymore to the Captain, having lost the children, I responded with a sigh:

"The children."

He visibly paled as he processed my words, gasping as he repeated what I said, and looked towards the house with what looked like nostalgia, shock and pain. Singing must remind him of his life before his wife's death, I'm sure of it. It reminded him of her and it was confirmed in his dashing figure, the blue of his eyes and the gentle quivering of his lower lip like a child about to cry. I wanted so much to soften his feelings of grief, but propriety held me back from trying to speak of his wife.

"I taught them something to sing for the baroness." I continued, softly. Without another word, Captain von Trapp briskly left into the house, nearly running to the source of the music. I wanted to help him through his visible grief and I could see that the man was in pain. But it would be best if I didn't; I was fired, the source of his anger and I cannot possibly understand what he must be feeling, as I've never been where he is now. I sighed as water dripped onto the marble tiles by the lake. I was always so outspoken and it cost me my time with the children. And although it was for the best for those 7 beloved children, I couldn't help but feel miserable as I trudged my way into the house, water dripping down my soaked clothes onto the polished floor.

 _I go to the hills, when my heart is lonely_

I walked to stop in the doorway s a dashing captain sang with his untrained albeit wonderful tenor voice as the children sang back up. I was mesmerized by the tenor's timbre, completely forgetting that I was fired and would maybe never see this family again. The sound was beautiful, a cry of love and family, a family that was reunited as before, reunited after so many years and so much loss.

 _And I'll sing once more_

And just as the last note was sung, the moment ended. After a moment's hesitation, the children ran to their father in a tearful group hug. I smiled to myself as I stared at the floor. At least, at the very least, I helped return them their father, before I left. That alone is more than worth my return to the abbey. I signalled to Gretl and the little blonde haired girl gave the edelweiss from the mountain to the sophisticated blonde baroness from Vienna with an adorable curtsy. The baroness smiled and gave Gretl a warm hug, commenting on his children's charm to the father of 7. And then the captain turned towards the doorway.

I took a step balk and paled. I have to get packing. I don't want to ruin the moment, and I'm fired anyway. The weight of my job revoking pressed down on my heart as I struggled not to let a tear out of my eye. _You did good Maria. There is no need to cry._ I repeated that to myself as I walked up the stairs. I stopped as the Captain addressed me:

"Fraulein."

I looked down at him, halfway up the stairs, waiting for him to continue.

"I… behaved badly. And I... apologize." the Captain clumsily said. I turned facing him on the stairs, my hands gripping the railing.

"I-I'm far too outspoken, it's one of my worst faults." I replied. But it didn't matter. By dinnertime, I would've left back to Nonnberg.

"You were right. I don't know my children." he agreed, taking a step closer. _Don't give up on them! They wanted so much to be near you!_

"There's still time. They want so much to be close to you!" I pleaded. He had a peculiar expression of true gratitude and respect as he looked up at me.

"You brought… music back into the house. I had forgotten." he commeted. I slowly began to walk up the stairs, trying my best not to cry about leaving the von Trapp home, just as the children finally got what they wanted all along: their father.

"Fraulein. I want you to stay." he said, as I stopped on the stairs again, only made a few steps when he addressed me. I stared at me in blank amazement.

"I uh, _ask you_ to stay." he corrected himself. A smile naturally tugged at my lips as I faced him once more.

"If I could be of any help." I replied, smiling. My heart beated just a little as I stared him.

"You have already. More than you know." he said. HIs piercing blue eyes met my own and my heart stuttered before he broke eye contact. My pounding heart was overridden by the enormous happiness those words made me feel. I am going to be able to stay. I'll stay! I'll be with the children for a little while longer! An overwhelming job enveloped me as I clapped my hands together, thinking of all the things me and the children will be able to do, with the Captain now too, and ran up the stairs, two at a time.

The ice was broken, and spring was going to begin. Only I didn't know how much this would mean to me later on, for me, the Captain and the children.


End file.
